Lalitpur - Nepal faces a growing shortage of skilled manpower, hindering its ability to fully utilize its vast development potential. Experts and stakeholders are increasingly emphasizing the urgent need to modernise Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to strengthen the country’s workforce and drive sustainable economic growth.
Despite its strategic importance, the promotion of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Nepal has faced persistent challenges. Limited access to training institutions, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient funding, and policy-level apathy have constrained the sector’s effectiveness over the years. Although several programmes were introduced in the past to expand technical education and create opportunities for youth engagement, many initiatives failed to achieve long-term impact due to financial and institutional limitations.
TVET is widely recognised as a crucial pillar for economic development and poverty reduction. By equipping young people with practical, job-ready skills, the sector can directly respond to labour market demands while reducing dependency on foreign employment. However, Nepal’s labour market continues to shrink in terms of skilled, hands-on professionals, creating gaps in industries such as construction, manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, and infrastructure development.
Education and development analysts argue that revitalising TVET requires a comprehensive reform agenda. This includes modernising curricula, integrating emerging technologies, strengthening public-private partnerships, ensuring adequate budget allocation, and enhancing instructor capacity. Aligning training programmes with industry needs and global standards is also seen as essential to improve employability and competitiveness.
Stakeholders further highlight the importance of recognising and upgrading traditional skills through modern technology. Nepal possesses rich indigenous craftsmanship and vocational expertise, which, if supported with innovation and market linkage, could generate sustainable livelihoods and boost domestic production.
The modernisation of the current TVET system is viewed not merely as an educational reform, but as a national development strategy. A dynamic and self-sustaining skilled workforce would not only stimulate industrial growth but also contribute to economic resilience and long-term prosperity.
As Nepal advances toward inclusive and sustainable development goals, strengthening the TVET sector could prove decisive in transforming demographic potential into productive human capital.
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